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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28096371">The Benefits of Cuddles (and Ignoring Clint)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/InTheShadows/pseuds/InTheShadows'>InTheShadows</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>WinterIron Week 2020 Fills [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Attempt at Humor, Banter, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Clint Barton Needs To Stop, Don't copy to another site, Extremis Tony Stark, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Movie Verse Extremis, Not Iron Man 3 Compliant, Platonic Cuddling, WinterIron Week 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:49:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,658</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28096371</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/InTheShadows/pseuds/InTheShadows</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When someone is upset, you never tell them to calm down. That is possibly the worst thing you can do. You can say practically anything else, but <i>not that</i>. Especially not to someone who can catch - figuratively thank you very much - on fire. Too bad Clint has yet to learn that lesson. Tony really, <i>really</i> wishes he would though. It's not helping.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clint Barton &amp; Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>WinterIron Week 2020 Fills [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2066133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>342</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Marvel, WinterIron Week</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Benefits of Cuddles (and Ignoring Clint)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For WinterIron Week, Day 1, Extremis Tony Stark. This particular extremis is based more off the movie version, although still not exact. (Yes, I have to clarify. I wrote more than one.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Um, tinhead? You’re glowing again,” Clint points out cautiously. Needlessly too because Tony is </span>
  <em>
    <span>well aware of it</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “You might want to cool it down some?” He smirks tentatively at his own pun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony turns to glare at him. Sparks fly from his hands. He doesn’t have to look at a mirror to know that his eyes are glowing too. “Cool it down? What, do you want me to go stick my head in the freezer?” That does work. Tony will never tell the others, will never admit to actually trying it, but it does help. For a little bit anyways. Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures and all that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey man,” Clint shrugs, “you do you. I just thought you might want to calm down a little, you know. Seems like a good idea to me, but what do I know?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing. That’s what Clint knows. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “When,” Tony growls, “in the history of ever, has telling someone to calm down ever worked?” The smell of heat gets stronger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clint eyes the floor beneath him carefully while trying hard not to look as if he is doing just that. “I’m just saying,” he shrugs, “you’re always complaining about all the repair work that always needs done.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Brucie Bear, back me up here.” Tony is trying desperately to distract himself. To hold on. Clint isn’t wrong, even if he is saying it in the worst way possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bruce nods. “Pretty sure the Other Guy goes after those people specifically. I think he has a special punch just for them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clint holds up his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying what everyone else is thinking. Tony needs to calm down before -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha finally shuts him up with a hand over his mouth. “Pay no mind to him. He was raised in a barn.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the circus, thank you very much,” he corrects as he pulls away, “And I -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like it makes a difference,” she scoffs as she recovers his mouth. “Ignore him,” she repeats easily, casually, but there is still tension in her body. An edge of watchfulness around her. She isn’t relaxed, no matter what she wants Tony to think. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony’s grin is probably a little too sharp as he asks, “You mean no one is in the mood for another weenie roast? I’m shocked. Shocked and appalled I say.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tony,” Steve says as he lays a hand on his shoulder. It must be too hot though, even for a super soldier, because he jerks it away in surprise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That is the last straw. “Fine then. I’ll go have one by myself.” He stomps off, well aware that he is throwing a tantrum. He doesn’t care. He is over this. Completely and utterly </span>
  <em>
    <span>done</span>
  </em>
  <span>. In the elevator he notices that his feet are smoking. Great. Just what he needs. Just what they all need. The elevator arrives and he stomps off into the workshop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once there it feels a little easier to breathe again. Here is safe. Here is a place no one will watch and no one will judge. His sanctuary. “Tunes Jay.” Loud, heavy music fills the space. The deep base makes his heart pound along with it. Slowly he can feel the tension, the anger and frustration, drain from him. Better. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He appreciates that Clint isn’t tip toeing around him. He really does.. If there is one thing he hates, it’s being treated with kids gloves. The team all knows that, yet Clint is one of the best about not doing it. The others try, knowing what Tony is like. Most of the time they even succeed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes though -</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, needless to say it is a work in progress. This morning is only one example of why. He had already been in a foul mood when he woke up and when Clint decided to be Clint - well. Fire Hazard Tony made his appearance again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He already thanked AIM once for the present. He’d dearly like to do so again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Extremis is a marvel, but it is something that should never be used on humans. Not with the testing phase it is in. Especially not with unwilling test subjects either. It is a miracle that Tony survived at all. A miracle - plus his own special brand of luck. Rhodey likes to claim that most of that so-called luck is made up of spite and stubbornness. He isn’t wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like hell Tony is going to let them get away with this. He burnt the Ten Rings to the ground. He’ll do the same to AIM. The irony isn’t lost on him either. He’s always had a special bond with fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tipping his head back, he lets the music take over. Let’s it drown everything else out. The fire in his veins slowly cools as he does. Just because he received a slightly different and more stable version doesn’t mean he can let himself get out of control. Once again - just his luck. It had never been tested before either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony does so hate being other people’s guinea pig. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the music he isn’t surprised when he hears the door open. He would know who it is even without the familiar heartbeat. The whirl of gears. Because he can hear that now. What is extremis if not another bastard version of the super soldier serum? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this only a party for one or can anyone join the weenie roast?” Bucky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony fights a smile. “Only if you brought your own. I’m fresh out, sorry honey buns.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How shall I ever live with the disappointment?” He plasters himself along Tony’s back, wrapping both arms around him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony lets him, relaxing into the hold. “I’m sure you’ll find some way.” The rest of the tension leaves him. This - this is what he needs. This is honestly the best way to calm him down, not Clint’s lame attempt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky </span>
  <em>
    <span>adores</span>
  </em>
  <span> the heat that runs through Tony now throws off almost constantly. Unlike Steve, who needs to be in the mood for it or have enough warning. This usually means after he has a nightmare, or a bad day, he gravitates to Tony. Any other time, he throws off so much heat himself that it is like adding fuel to the flames. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky though - Bucky will never turn it down. Never turn away. Tony is convinced that he could light himself on fire and Bucky would still cling to him. For all that he has his own bastard form of serum, he is always cold. They’ve speculated everything from lasting effects of cryo to purely psychological effects. Either way it doesn’t matter because the results are the same. Bucky will never turn down an opportunity to plaster himself to Tony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They found this out one movie night when Bucky was accidentally triggered. Usually when that happens he does one of two things - isolates himself or goes to Steve. That time it had been the latter. The only problem was, at the time, Tony had been laying on top of Steve. And there hadn’t been enough time for him to move unless Steve dumped him on the floor. So when Bucky had lunged at Steve, he got Tony instead - </span>
</p><p>
  <span>- and melted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The noise he had made sounded like something straight out of a porno and he went boneless on top of Tony. He wound his hands into his shirt and made it abundantly clear that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> moving. Poor Steve was the one who had to. Tony, startled as hell, had heated up to more than he was comfortable with. He slid out and Bucky whined pitifully until Tony readjusted them both. He tangled the two of them together and Bucky didn’t move for the rest of the night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve sat on the floor in front of them, teasing Tony about it. Jerk. Bucky may claim Steve is a punk - and he is - but he’s a jerk too. Rude. So very rude. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From that point on though Bucky inevitably gravitated towards him whenever he could, even if he was about to - figuratively, thank Tesla - burst into flames. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Especially</span>
  </em>
  <span> if he were about to burst into flames. It’s funny because until that point Tony and Bucky hadn’t had much to do with each other at all. They were friendly, sure, but they weren’t friends. Not really. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now though, they are in each other’s space all the time. It’s nice. Tony gets to cling without being seen as the needy one and Bucky gets his own personal heating blanket. Plus it’s not as if he’s hard on the eyes either. And he has a great sense of humor, so - win, win all around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How badly do you think the others would freak if we made s’mores one day?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bucky snickers into his hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m serious,” Tony grins, “Normally you never get the chocolate to melt just right, but I’m sure I can manage. What do you say?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a menace,” Bucky accuses fondly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just trying to keep up with the other two soldiers here. Not everyone can live up to punk or jerk so well.” He can feel Bucky’s smile against his skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pretty sure you don’t need the excuse.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lies.” Tony denies, “Lies and slander. I don’t know what you are talking about here sugar plum. Are you trying to accuse me of something?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never,” Bucky denies. Badly. It is such a bad denial because he is still grinning far too widely for it to be believable. Rude. Just like Steve - so very </span>
  <em>
    <span>rude</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony huffs. “See if I ever do anything nice for you again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything but that darling,” Bucky protests, still grinning, “How about I make it up to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that sounds interesting. “Oh? How?” Just what direction is this going in? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have some marshmallows up in my room,” he answers slyly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony bursts out into laughter. Extremis may suck, but at least it did one thing right. At least it gave him this. “Deal,” he grins. </span>
</p><p> </p>
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